How Kim Guan Guan Plans to Rebrand Singapore Kopi at Home and Abroad

A new push to reintroduce Singapore kopi

Singapore kopi is getting a reset. Traditional roaster Kim Guan Guan is trying to change how people at home and abroad think about the drink. The family business, long known for supplying kopitiams with coffee powder, is building a consumer brand around Singapore style brews. Capsules, steep coffee bags and gift boxes aim to match modern habits while keeping the taste of the kopitiam cup. The goal is simple, raise kopi from a canteen staple to something people buy with pride for their own kitchens and as gifts to friends overseas.

Second generation leader Nigel Soon says many locals view kopi as cheap and inferior because of its low price point. The company is trying to shift those perceptions through convenience formats, upgraded packaging and clearer storytelling. Kim’s Duet, its consumer label, offers steep coffee bags, drip style filter packs and capsules that fit popular machines at home. You can find the products in supermarkets, on e commerce sites and at Singapore Changi Airport in both transit and public areas. The brand also runs pop ups where people can taste brews and learn the lingo behind Kopi O, Kopi C and other orders that define the local coffee culture. A controlling stake sale in May 2024 to PSC Corporation gives Kim Guan Guan more reach, capital and a wider distribution network, with plans that include growth in China and broader brand building at home.

The company started in 1988 as a trading business before becoming a roaster and supplier to coffee shops, hawker centres, food courts, caterers and canteens across the island. That wholesale footprint remains the core engine. The push into retail is a bet that the same flavors that power breakfast at kopitiams can travel into homes, offices and luggage, one sachet at a time.

From wholesale roaster to consumer brand

For decades the factory work happened behind the scenes. Today the company is designing products for front of shelf. Kim’s Duet is the outlet for that shift, built on single serve formats that do not require special gear. A steep bag sits in a cup, hot water goes in and a press with a spoon draws out a full bodied brew. Drip packs perch on the rim of a mug for a pour over style experience. Capsules mirror the dark roast strength of kopi with a format that fits popular pod machines. The idea is to remove friction so anyone can make kopi in three minutes.

Products built for convenience

• Singapore Kopi Variety Box with classic local styles in single serve steep bags, such as Kopi O Kosong, Kopi O and Kopi C.
• Singapore Nanyang Collection that mixes kopi and teh favorites in a compact gift pack, roasted and packed in Singapore.
• Singapore Heritage Collection in a gold tin with sachets of coffee and tea, a double wall cup and a spoon for an all in one gift.
• Nanyang Dreaming coffee capsules, a dark roast blend designed to capture the power of traditional kopi and compatible with Nespresso machines.
• Traditional brewing kit inspired by kopitiam tools, with mini coffee pots and a cloth filter so people can hand pull kopi at home.
• Retail presence at Changi Airport, where travelers buy packs as an edible souvenir that explains Singapore coffee culture. See Kim’s Duet gift sets at this page.

What makes Singapore kopi different from cafe coffee?

Kopi is not the same as the espresso and filter drinks that define many cafe menus. The base is robusta beans, rather than the arabica beans used in most specialty shops. Robusta comes with more caffeine and a deeper bitterness, and it goes well with evaporated or condensed milk and sugar that characterize local orders. The flavor stays strong as the cup cools, which is one reason kopi feels satisfying in Singapore’s heat.

The roast and brew

The roast is slow and hot, followed by a second stage where the beans meet caramel and margarine. Roasters listen for crackles to judge doneness, then move quickly to coat and cool the beans after caramelization. At Kim Guan Guan, a batch can roast for around 45 to 60 minutes. Ratios vary by recipe, but a common benchmark cited by traditional roasters is roughly 18 kilograms of sugar and 1.7 kilograms of margarine for every 60 kilograms of beans. The brew method also sets kopi apart: a long spouted kettle and a flannel sock filter are used to pull a thick, smooth cup.

The style has history. In colonial era Singapore, European tastes and local budgets collided. Many households used robusta grown in the region and added sugar and fat during roasting to mimic the sweetness and texture of pricier arabica. That approach became a hallmark across the Malay world and shaped the Singapore breakfast ritual built around kopi, kaya toast and soft boiled eggs.

Changing perceptions, not just prices

Kopi’s low price is part of its charm, and also a reason some people undervalue it. A kopitiam cup often costs less than half of a cafe Americano. Price can anchor expectations. Kim Guan Guan is trying to reset that anchor by giving kopi a clearer story and by making it easy to brew well at home. Less sugar and no sugar variants cater to changing tastes. Clear labels explain the difference between Kopi O, Kopi C and Kosong orders. Gift packaging makes it suitable for international visitors and for locals who want to share a piece of culture.

Nigel Soon, the second generation owner steering the consumer push, wants Singaporeans to see kopi as a crafted drink, not a commodity.

“When you think of local coffee, most Singaporeans think it is cheap and inferior. Because of its very accessible price point, we do not appreciate it as much.”

Reframing value is as much education as it is retail. Taste events and pop ups at places like Jewel Changi let people sample and learn. The company points to roasting skill and raw ingredients to show why a cup can be both familiar and worthy of more attention. Prices do not need to rise dramatically to create pride. Context and convenience do a lot of the work. Premium tins, smart graphics and simple instructions give confidence to people who grew up ordering kopi at a stall and help newcomers try it without fear of getting it wrong.

Innovation that keeps heritage intact

Product development is bringing more people into the category. In 2023, Kim’s Duet launched Oat Milk Kopi C Kosong. It pairs the aroma and body of kopi with oats for creaminess and has no added sugar. The drink carries the Health Promotion Board (HPB) Healthier Choice symbol. Oat Milk Hot Cocoa offers a dairy free option for families and people who avoid milk.

In 2024, the brand introduced a decaf Kopi O Kosong, describing it as the first of its kind in Singapore. The sachets use natural ground coffee and a high quality filter bag from Japan, with no artificial flavor or coloring. Decaf lets coffee lovers enjoy the ritual at night or for health reasons without missing the taste they expect from a kopitiam style brew.

A bigger backer and a wider runway

Scale matters in consumer goods. In May 2024, PSC Corporation acquired a controlling 51 percent stake in Kim Guan Guan Coffee Trading. PSC says the purchase marks a strategic move into coffee manufacturing and retail and that the group will apply its regional network, research and development and e commerce experience to grow the brand, with a focus on China. The group has told investors it is investing for long term growth across its brands with a focus on quality and relevance for younger consumers. Those capabilities now extend to kopi.

For Kim Guan Guan, the partnership brings a larger distribution web in Singapore and Malaysia and more muscle to place products in supermarkets, travel retail and online platforms in new markets. The wholesale business that supplies kopitiams can run in parallel with a retail push that turns kopi into a cultural product people can drink anywhere.

Keeping the craft alive

Traditional roasting is demanding work. It involves heat, smoke, heavy drums and precise timing. Industry veterans say only a small group of kopi roasters still operate in Singapore, far fewer than in the mid twentieth century when many stalls roasted their own beans. If roasters shut down, small kopitiams might import roasted beans or switch to other styles, which risks losing some of the flavor and identity that make Singapore kopi distinct.

Jason Soon, who founded Kim Guan Guan in 1988 and is a prominent defender of the method, warns that the craft needs active support from producers.

“If us manufacturers do not work hard at preserving it, who will? This is part of Singapore’s heritage.”

Public interest helps that cause. A travelling exhibition from the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre celebrates the Nanyang breakfast of kopi, kaya toast and soft boiled eggs. It traces how Hainanese cooks and other communities shaped the ritual and shows how local brands have taken those tastes around the world. When people see kopi as part of a living culture, they are more willing to pay for quality and to keep buying from local roasters.

Competition, costs and the next stage

The coffee market has grown more crowded. Third wave cafes highlight arabica farming regions and lighter roasts, and those drinks command higher prices. Kopi vendors face rising costs for rent, wages and ingredients. Some roasters say margins at the stall level can be close to zero. Across the island, kopi must stay affordable, so raising prices across the board is hard to do without losing customers.

A two track strategy gives a heritage roaster room to grow. Wholesale keeps kopitiams supplied with familiar blends. Retail creates new occasions and higher value packs. If convenience formats win fans at home and in travel retail, and if overseas customers who already enjoy kaya toast chains try brewing kopi at home, the category can grow beyond kopitiams. With a larger backer, more shelf space and more education, Singapore kopi can move from an everyday habit to a product people feel proud to share.

The Bottom Line

• Kim Guan Guan is shifting from a pure wholesale roaster to a consumer facing brand through Kim’s Duet, with steep bags, drip packs and capsules.
• Products now sell in supermarkets, online and at Singapore Changi Airport, positioning kopi as a gift and an at home ritual.
• Nigel Soon wants to change the perception that kopi is cheap and inferior, focusing on convenience, quality and storytelling.
• Innovation includes Oat Milk Kopi C Kosong with an HPB Healthier Choice symbol and a decaf Kopi O Kosong launched in 2024.
• PSC Corporation bought a 51 percent stake in May 2024, aiming to scale the brand and expand in China through its regional network.
• Traditional roasting is under pressure from labor challenges, but cultural interest and retail growth can support the craft.
• A two track model, wholesale to kopitiams and retail to consumers, gives the company room to grow without pushing up hawker prices.